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To start the sign-up process go to
http://www.newenglandwind.org/acton
Or read on for more information and frequently-asked
questions:
Q: What are my donation options?
A: Donations can be either a one-time donation of $100, or a monthly
payment of at least $5
Q: Can I use the telephone or
mail to donate?
A: Yes! You can call 800-287-3950
or print out and use this mailable
form.
Q: If I sign up for $5 a month,
how long would I be donating for?
A: Our hope is that a household is
willing to continue the $5 per month donation for a year. You can cancel
your monthly contribution at any time by contacting the New England Wind Fund
office. The Wind Fund is a program of the Mass Energy Consumers Alliance,
a highly reputable nonprofit organization which was founded in 1982.
Q: What happens to the
donations if fewer than 150 households participate?
A: The state agency will match dollar
for dollar whatever is donated to the New England Wind Fund, and those
matching dollars are given to the town of Acton to be spent on renewable energy
projects. If, for example, 130 households give a total of $12,000, then
that money goes to the New England Wind Fund and another $12,000 in matching
funds is given to the town of Acton for renewable energy projects.
Q: What happens if more than 150
households participate?
A: If 300 households participate,
then Acton can earn 2 solar panels! If 200 households participate (for
example), then the contributions of the first 150 households would earn Acton a
solar panel...and the contributions from the remaining 50 households would be
matched dollar for dollar by the state agency, and those matching funds would be
given to the town of Acton to be spent on renewable energy projects.
Q: Where can I get more
questions answered?
A: You can reach us at info@actonclimate.org
Q: I hear that Acton PIP supports the Solar
Challenge. Is that true? And who are they?
A: Yes it's true! PIP (Parent Involvement Project) is a volunteer organization of parents,
educators, and community partners promoting Science, Technology, Engineering
& Math (STEM) education.
Q: Wasn't the deadline March
31?
A: Yes it was. The funding
agency recently announced an extension of the deadline by a month.
Q: I started to make a
contribution on the New England Wind Fund web page, but then I noticed it asked
if I was enrolling as a member of a partner organization, and I wasn't sure what
to do with that?
A: You can skip that section! As
long as your address is in Acton, your donation will be properly credited to our
campaign for a solar panel.
A big Thank-You
from the Acton Climate Action Team!
Here's a poster
you can put up or hand to people. We think it looks especially nice on bright
and light-colored paper.
Even More Information:
The Massachusetts Technology
Collaborative, a public agency of the Commonwealth, has created this challenge
program – called Clean Energy Choice -- as an incentive to reward communities
that help fund renewable energy projects. Towns earn a 2kW solar/photovoltaic
installation (a $22,000 value) when 150 households or businesses contribute to the New England Wind Fund before March 31, 2007.
. (There is an ongoing matching
funds program offered by Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, but it is
nowhere near as favorable for Acton as the incentive program we are
participating in now that expires on March 31)
A 2000 Watt (2KW) solar/photovoltaic
installation can be expected to generate the equivalent of about half of a typical Acton household's electricity use,
saving money for Acton year after year.
The following are some of the cities and towns
are participating in this challenge program: Acton, Amherst,
Arlington, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Lexington, Lincoln, Newton, Somerville,
and Sudbury.
The Acton
selectmen reviewed this program at their February 26 meeting, and encouraged us
to move ahead with it. Also,
Acton PIP (Parent Involvement Project) is supporting the Solar Panel project as
a means of increasing environmental awareness among young people and tying in
with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education K-12
The
New England Wind Fund is a program of the Massachusetts Energy
Consumers Alliance (Mass Energy), a 24-year old nonprofit organization dedicated
to making energy more affordable and environmentally sustainable. Mass Energy is
the state’s leading supplier of renewable energy to residential and small
business customers.
The New
England Wind Fund was founded by Mass Energy to promote the development of wind
power in the New England region by making payments to generators for
“renewable energy certificates” (RECs). The purpose of RECs is to provide
generators with the additional revenue they need to get on the grid in
competition with generators using fossil fuels.
Contributions
to the New England Wind Fund are 100% tax deductible.
For more information or to sign up now:
http://www.newenglandwind.org/acton
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